Cenahria and Team RWBY
by LetAnOwlIn
Summary: This is my fanfic based on my OC Cenahria and how she meets Team RWBY. This takes place after Season 4 when all of Team RWBY are together in Mistral, along with Qrow and Team JNR. This story is slightly different to what I am used to writing, and it's my way of testing out my writing skills so please bear with me. I hope you all enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The noise was deafening. Even in absolute silence, Cenahria's mind would be filled with an array of noise, varying from bright, joyful laughs, to bitter tears and screams. It was always so hard to separate them out, harder still to filter her own thoughts, her own voice. Sitting close to the mouth of an alleyway, Cenahria fought the urge to run deeper into the dark. It was a bright day, from what she could see through the throng of people walking past, but the light barely touched this place she called home. She knew it wouldn't help, but it was nice to imagine for a moment that she could run away from all of this.

No-one paid her any attention as they walked past – she was just a faceless, nameless shape in an alleyway, just another homeless person. No identity. Cenahria held on to her memories, of the knowledge of who she was, but often that just made her head hurt. Staring through grime-streaked hair, she tried to remind herself of the colour of her hair, of her eyes. She hadn't seen her reflection in months, and the only time she was washed clean of the dirt was if it rained, which was rare in Mistral. Not for the first time, Cenahria cursed herself, her semblance, the world itself.

Even after 5 years, she had little control over the feelings and emotions she was constantly drowning in. Living in alleyways and refusing to care for herself had caused most people to stay away, and that eased it slightly, but there would still be the odd good Samaritan, hiding pains of their own, trying to do some good in the world. Cenahria had wanted to do that. But she couldn't do it alone. But being around others, trusting another person to not run away screaming at what she could do, was out of the question, so here she was.

Alone and afraid.

Cenahria's stomach rumbled as she watched a group of girls walk past, carrying ice creams. She couldn't remember the last time she had tasted ice cream, or anything other than soup and stale bread, for that matter. She made a mental note to make her way to the shelter earlier today – last night she had been a few minutes too late for the kitchens. Moving closer to the entrance to her 'home', Cenahria watched the girls, pretending for a moment she was one of them. They were so bright, so vibrant. They were in high spirits too, giggling with one another, although each had one concern or another drifting in the recesses of their minds. Cenahria was envious of their ability to ignore it. They were younger than her, Academy age, apart from the shortest one. She looked younger still. Watching them, as they rounded the corner and disappeared, Cenahria realised what they reminded her of. "They're a team" she sighed, thinking about her own. They were students of some Academy, maybe even Haven itself, she was sure now. Students studying to become Huntresses, to become the elite, the protectors of the world.

Sighing again, Cenahria went to duck back into her alleyway, when an indignant shout and drunken laughter came from the corner. Looking up, she saw a group of men, way too drunk for this hour, with the group of girls following them, the white-haired one shouting angrily, adjusting her beautiful dress. Her friends were trying to convince her to leave it alone, and eventually they turned to leave, the white-haired girl barking one final insult at the men. The men stopped and began shouting back at the group, obviously trying to provoke the girl.

Suddenly afraid, Cenahria tried to hide herself, but one of the men spotted her. Violence and anger that didn't belong to her flashed through Cenahria's mind, and she quickly moved down her alleyway, desperate to get away. She could hear running, and panic set in. Looking around her, she realised her mistake. In her attempts at hiding from the world, and running from her problems, she had chosen to settle in a dead-end alleyway. It was deep, and dark, and perfect for hiding. It was also perfect for trapping a terrified, broken girl who promised herself every day she would not use her skills. The three men stood at the end of the alleyway, drunken urges lighting their eyes with alcohol-infused fire. They began to advance on her, and Cenahria knew she had no escape. Fight or die. Those were her options. Anything else they wanted to do, well, Cenahria didn't want to think about that. Fight? Or die? Had she really given up that much? The men surrounded her, and one threw her against the back wall. All were dressed in dark clothing. From the street, no one would be able to see her, and even if they did. Would they care?

They were laughing now, lifting her hair away from her face, making comments at how dirty she was, poking at the holes in her ragged clothes. One of the men ran a finger down her cheek, and she instinctively flinched away. "Careful now, Cen" she thought to herself. She had to maintain control. Bad things happened when she lost control. The man who had touched her cheek grabbed her arm, and held it. Tightly. Shaking, Cenahria bit back a scream, which erupted when another of the men grabbed her even harder. The entrance to the alleyway went dark.

"Let her go. And we won't hurt you. Much." One of the girls from earlier, the tallest one, flexed her arms slightly, and took a step forward. Her long yellow hair fluttered in a slight breeze. The men sneered at her, and as one, the entire group moved forwards, slowly. The girls, although young, looked terrifying. Cenahria could feel their resolve, and their anger at the men. Angry now, the drunk men turned their attention away from her, and walked to meet the girls in the middle of the alley. Cenahria could practically taste the violence in the air – these girls were not going to back down easily.

One of the men laughed, but there was an edge to it now. He tugged on the white-haired girl's dress. "Pretty little thing, isn't it? It'd be a shame to tear it." The girl lifted her chin and stared defiantly back at him. The yellow-haired girl took one last step forward. "I warned you" a slight smile played on her lips, before she punched him square in the jaw. The distinct sound of metal hitting flesh echoed in the alley. Cenahria stepped forward to get a closer look, and saw that the girl's arm was robotic, painted yellow and black to match her clothing. The man's friends stared down at him, unconscious on the floor, shock reverberating around them. "We will give you 5 seconds to take your friend here, and leave." This time it was the girl in black who spoke, fire blazing in her eyes. Without hesitation, the men gathered their fallen friend, and ran out of the alley.

"That was surprisingly easy – I thought they would put up more of a fight!" The girl in yellow remarked, disappointment colouring her words. She seemed sincere, too. Cenahria collapsed to the ground in a heap, struggling to breathe. The panic was subsiding now, and blind fear was taking its place. The smaller girl walked over to her, and knelt beside her. There was kindness in her silver eyes, and Cenahria felt more at ease. The girl smiled at her, and despite herself, Cenahria smiled back. "Hi. My name is Ruby. This is my sister, Yang, and these are our friends, Weiss, and Blake." The girls nodded in turn, and the girl in yellow, Yang, smiled at her, and reached out her metal hand. Hesitating, Cenahria took it. It felt surprisingly warm as the girl helped her to her feet.

"Are you okay? Did those men hurt you?" The black-haired girl, Blake, had concern etched all over her face. Cenahria nodded. "I think I'll just have a few bruises. It would have been much worse, if you guys hadn't shown up. I don't know how to thank you…" she trailed off, suddenly embarrassed. She was older than these girls, and yet they had rescued her! Yang put an arm around her, and gave her a slight squeeze. "It's no problem! I've been looking for an excuse to put this arm to the test, and you gave me one!" The girl laughed, and smiled at her. Weiss, the white-haired girl, was looking at Cenahria, studying her, and the alleyway. It made Cenahria uncomfortable, and she tried to hide herself.

"Do you… live here?" The idea seemed incredible to the girl, and the other girls rolled their eyes. "Real tactful, Weiss" muttered Blake. Weiss gave an indignant huff, before looking at Cenahria again, and this time, Cenahria could feel the sympathy. She nodded, and the sympathy emanated from all of them. "When was the last time you had a good hot meal, or slept in a real bed?" Yang's voice was gentle, desperate not to offend. Cenahria explained to them how she had been living like this for over a year now. She had lost count of the days, and weeks, and months. She didn't tell them how or why she had ended up like this. They didn't need to know about that. By the end of her story, Ruby was shaking. "This isn't right! Come back with us. We can get you food, and a room at the Inn we are staying at." The girls looked at Ruby for a moment, and Cenahria could sense the indecision there. "I… I don't want to cause any trouble for anyone… and I can't afford to pay you or anything…" Weiss cut her off. "Ruby is right. You deserve to be taken care of. Blake and Yang can take you back to the Inn, and you can have a hot bath before eating with us." Yang nodded, and Blake took Cenahria's arm. "What about you and Ruby?" The dark-haired girl spoke quietly, choosing her words carefully, and her grip on her arm was gentle, but firm. Cenahria decided she liked her. "We are going to get something for this girl to change into. She can't stay in those rags." Blake rolled her eyes again, muttering the word "tact" under her breath. Cenahria smiled, for real this time. "There really is no need…" "Don't mention it. We want to help you. You can be our new friend!" Ruby's enthusiasm was hard to ignore, and Cenahria laughed slightly. "I… like the sound of that. My name is Cenahria, by the way." The girls smiled at her, and they parted ways, Ruby and Weiss heading off to find clothes, and Blake and Yang leading her to warmth and safety.

The girls allowed Cenahria to walk in silence. She was processing what had just happened. She had spent so long trying to stay away from people, and Ruby's voice echoed in her head. "You can be our new friend!" Cenahria didn't have friends. Not anymore. Even now, she could feel the uncertainty, and caution, and concern that the two girls were feeling, and Cenahria didn't like how that made her feel. She didn't want to cause trouble for anyone, and being friends and becoming close to people usually meant pain for someone. But these girls had rescued her, and part of her felt happy to be around them. Maybe it was time for Cenahria to give herself a break, and relax a little. She couldn't run forever.

It didn't take long to reach the Inn that they were staying at. Blake stayed with Cenahria by the door as Yang went to speak to another group. There were two boys and a girl, who appeared to be of a similar age to Yang and Blake. They looked like students too. The last person seated at their table was an older man, with black hair and red eyes. Yang was speaking quickly, leaving no room for argument, and after only a few minutes Yang walked over to them with a key. "Nora said you can share her room, if you would like to?" The girl waved enthusiastically, and shouted "Hello!" across the room, causing Cenahria to blush slightly. Blake led her over to the table, where the boys introduced themselves as Jaune and Ren. Cenahria's blush deepened at the shyness of Jaune's voice, and the intense look in his deep blue eyes. "And this is mine and Ruby's Uncle Qrow!" Yang announced, and Cenahria reminded herself that she was being introduced. Tearing herself away from those blue eyes, Cenahria instead became transfixed by the red eyes of Qrow. He nodded to her, and looked away swiftly. A rush of emotions hit Cenahria, and she swayed on her feet. "So many emotions all at once… But they can't be right…" She thought to herself. She swayed again as she struggled to make sense of what was going on inside her mind. Blake took her arm again, and gently led her to Nora's room, as Yang stayed behind, making apologies for her "she hasn't eaten properly in days, no wonder she feels unwell".

Blake left Cenahria to it, after showing her how to use the shower. Stripping, Cenahria practically jumped into the stream of hot water, shivering in delight. It had been so long since she had felt this warm. Enjoying it, she prolonged the shower as long as she could. She was vaguely aware of the door to the room opening and shutting, but she didn't care. Eventually, Cenahria stepped out of the shower, regretfully. Her stomach had begun to rumble again, and she realised Yang had been right. She needed to eat something, and soon.

Wrapping herself in a towel, she wandered into the room, to find several bags and a box lying on one of the beds. Sitting next to them, she unwrapped one bundle after another, until a full outfit lay on the bed, complete with boots. She stared at them in shock. Weiss and Ruby had chosen well. She slowly got dressed, savouring the feel of fresh, clean clothing against her skin. Brushing her hair with the new hairbrush that Weiss had also left for her, Cenahria began to feel something close to happy. There was a full-length mirror in the corner. Taking a deep breath, Cenahria moved towards it, and closed her eyes. She had not seen her reflection in months. Dreading what kind of state she had gotten herself into, she slowly opened her eyes. The dress Weiss and Ruby had chosen was the same deep violet of her eyes, cut longer at the back, and sleeveless. It was tighter than she was used to, but it fit perfectly. Her boots were black, and came to the knee, matching her cropped, black jacket. She rolled the sleeves up slightly, marvelling at the fabric. Cenahria tied her hair up, into the two ponytails she had worn so often before, and smiled at herself.

"Welcome back, Cenahria." She whispered softly.


	2. Chapter 2

It had not been a good day so far for Qrow Bronwen. His semblance had been wreaking havoc all around him. First had been Jaune falling down the stairs, although Qrow was not convinced that had been his semblance, instead preferring to believe it was simply the boy's idiocy that had caused the accident. And then, when he had been sat, quietly drinking, the waitress had knocked over an entire shelf of bottles. Now, he sat in a booth in the corner, on his own, far away from the other patrons. His nieces and their friends had all gone out for the day, and he had been left in relative peace. The clumsy waitress had been making eyes at him all day, and the prospect was looking more attractive the more alcohol he poured down his throat. He sighed. What a life he led.

Qrow wasted several more hours drinking slowly. Ruby and Yang hated it when he got too drunk, and although he didn't want to admit it to himself, he really did not want another night in a stranger's bed. He pondered for a while, thinking of the days before Beacon Academy had been destroyed, where he had travelled Remnant, being sent out on dangerous missions, instead of hanging around with a group of teenagers. He sighed. That was unfair. He enjoyed spending time with Ruby and Yang, and after all they had been through, the resilience of not only Team RWBY but what was left of Team JNPR constantly surprised him. He wasn't sure he'd have had the kind of strength to get through all they had suffered when he was their age. He still hadn't fully recovered from Tirion's attack.

"Hello Qrow!" A light, bouncy voice suddenly appeared in front of him, causing tiny knives to stab at his brain. He groaned and waved a hand in Nora's general direction. She was a sweet girl, but very _loud_. "Have you been drinking all day?" Ren's voice held a note of disapproval as he slid into the booth next to Nora and opposite Qrow. Jaune, quiet as ever, slid in after him, and kept his eyes downward. "Yeah, I have. Nothing else for me to do, is there, when the world has all of you to play Detective." Jaune winced, and Qrow instantly regretted his words. He sighed again. Nora and Ren were watching him, seemingly very quiet, but their senses on high alert, muscles tensed. They were used to his drunken outbursts now. He pushed away the tendrils of shame seeping into his mind. "I'm not that drunk. I'm all right. This is my last one anyway." He gestured with the glass, tinkling the ice against the glass.

Qrow sat silently for a while, listening to the trio talk to one another, discussing the events of the day. It seemed they had gone sightseeing around Mistral. What fun. Jaune had perked up a little, and was getting more involved in the conversation. It was nice to see, although Qrow would never admit that aloud. Ren and Nora tried to involve Qrow in their discussions, asking what food they were going to have that evening.

The door to the Inn opened, and a burst of light filtered into the room, further intensifying the knives in his brain. His niece Yang walked in, along with Blake, and a girl. The girl was slightly taller than both, but he could barely make out any of her figure, or her features. She was covered in dirt, and grime, and her clothes were ripped and ragged. He smiled slightly. Trust his niece to find a homeless girl to help. Yang walked over, and explained very quickly that the girl was called Cenahria, and they had brought her to the Inn to clean her up, give her food and maybe even a room. Yang kept looking sideways at Qrow, and he sensed her building an argument in her head in case he said no. Pride briefly wound its way into his heart and he smiled faintly again. "So, Uncle Qrow. Is that okay? If Cenahria stays with us for a little while?" Her eyes were hopeful, and Ren was watching him again. "Let's be honest here, would anything I say make a difference?" He smirked at his niece, who grinned back.

"She can stay in my room if she likes! Oh, a new friend!" Nora was practically bouncing in her seat as she fumbled for the key to her room, and Yang took it with a smile. She walked back over to the girl, and as she did so, Nora shouted a 'hello', which caused a faint blush to appear in what Qrow could see of her cheeks. Blake led her over to the table, where the others said hello, and the girl's blush became deeper when she locked eyes with Jaune. He was a good-looking boy, in fairness to him. Well-built, with blonde hair, and deep blue eyes, several of the younger serving girls had been less than discreet with their looks at him during their stay at the Inn. Jaune noticed none of it.

Despite her being closer, Qrow still could barely make out any of the girl's features, although she was facing more towards Jaune's side of the table, instead of his. Finally tearing herself away from Jaune's gaze, she turned to face him. Qrow's breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were a vivid purple, and held a light he'd never seen before. Although she appeared shy, and quiet, her eyes told a different story. There was a strength there that made his heart beat faster. How had this girl become homeless? They only locked eyes for a second, but it felt like an eternity. Feeling like he was staring, he quickly looked away, jerking his head in a brief nod in her direction, before turning back to his empty glass. She stumbled a little, and Qrow had to stop himself moving to steady her. He didn't know this girl. What was he doing? She stumbled again, and he moved deeper into the booth, to stop himself pulling her to sit next to him. It was just his hunter reactions kicking in, he told himself. That's all. Blake took the girl's arm again, and led her through the Inn and up the stairs, as Yang made excuses for her. "It's alright Yang. We can all see she's in no state to be getting chatty right now." Qrow gestured, and his niece sat down.

After a while, Qrow's other niece, Ruby, arrived, along with Weiss and several bags. The girls were giggling together, and seemed excited. "They've been shopping for Cenahria" Qrow thought to himself, and allowed another moment of pride to filter in, happy that his nieces were such thoughtful girls. Soon after, Weiss and Ruby joined the group. Sitting in the very corner of the booth, Qrow sat and listened to the girls tell of how they had been nearly attacked by a group of drunken men, and how the men had then tried to attack Cenahria. Trying to ignore the highly irrational anger that had suddenly overcome him at that point of the story, he high-fived Yang when she told about knocking the fully-grown man unconscious with one hit. Despite the dark nature of the tale, the whole group were soon laughing and joking about it. But Qrow could not get the thought of that purple-eyed girl, so vulnerable and alone, out of his mind. If the girls had not arrived when they did… No. He couldn't think like that. He shouldn't. He barely knew the girl – why did he even care?

After an hour or so, a girl walked down the stairs of the Inn. Jaune's eyes widened and a slight blush appeared in his cheeks. Turning, Qrow could see why. He wasn't sure if it was the multiple glasses of alcohol he had consumed, but the girl was incredibly attractive. Deep blue hair faded into a light purple, and was tied into two long bunches brushing to her waist. She was slim, and her figure was attractive, a deep purple dress framing her body, which Qrow could appreciate. As the girl moved closer, Qrow's breath caught in his throat for the second time that evening. It was Cenahria. She was older than Yang and the others, and her whole demeanour had changed. Standing tall, she moved with an elegance and confidence he had not thought the girl from before could have. He recognised the strength in her walk – whoever this girl was, she was a Huntress, he was sure of it. There was still a shyness to her, as she looked around uncomfortably, tugging on the hem of her rather short dress, and he smiled to himself. Weiss and Ruby beamed at her, and Nora stood up and waved her over. "Cenahria! I'm so glad the dress fits you! It looks good on you." Cenahria blushed at Weiss' compliment, and Qrow found himself looking away from her, heat rising in his own cheeks. He scowled. Qrow Bronwen did not blush. Blushing was for boys like Jaune. He was no boy. He was a man.

Waving the waitress from earlier over, he ordered another drink, this time a double. The waitress was bolder this time, making subtle, but flirtatious comments. For some reason, she didn't look as attractive as she had earlier, and he very bluntly turned her down. Ren looked at him with an eyebrow raised, but he ignored him. He could turn down women when he wanted to. It just wasn't often that it happened, especially lately. He must be sobering up, he thought, ignoring any other possibilities.

There were too many of them at the table now that Cenahria had arrived, so at Jaune's suggestion, the group moved to the largest booth in the place. Without thinking, Qrow held out an arm, stopping Yang from moving past, and allowed Cenahria to slide into the corner of the booth first. She gave him a small smile, their eyes meeting briefly as she moved past him, before she sat in the corner, and he smiled at her, forgetting himself for a moment. Her eyes lit up slightly, and her smile grew a little bigger, as he slid in after her. Yang was watching them closely as she sat down opposite, and he could see the curiosity and confusion in her eyes. Qrow ignored her, too. "Honestly, anyone would think I was rude and obnoxious" he thought to himself. There was that time that Glynda had described him as being 'always drunk', but that wasn't the point. Qrow could be nice when he wanted to be. "Cenahria has been through a lot today, that's all. I'm just trying to be nice. It's my hunter training kicking in, nothing more. Protecting the innocent" he told himself, rather sternly.

The booth was still a little too small for their group, and Qrow found himself having to sit very close to Cenahria for everyone to fit. Close enough to have her skin gently brush against his with every tiny movement. Qrow deliberately tried to avoid her gaze, and attributed his heart racing, and the heat in his veins, to the alcohol he had been drinking. He noticed she was very silent, and her eyes were thoughtful every time he happened to turn her way, a faint, but noticeable pink in her cheeks. The more he thought about her, the quieter and more embarrassed she seemed to look, although no-one else appeared to have noticed. He wasn't quite sure why his thoughts kept turning to this girl sitting next to him, or why he was so certain of how she was feeling. Desperate to think about something else, he suggested they order food.

Instead of ordering separately, the group ordered large quantities of, well, everything. Not for the first time, Qrow was very glad to have access to the vast amount of money Ozpin had hidden away. Stealing a glance at Cenahria, he smirked slightly at the sheer shock in her eyes as the serving girls brought plate after plate of food and laid it on the table. "Go ahead, Cenahria. Dig in!" Yang herself was already piling her plate high, as were the others. Grabbing a leg of chicken, Qrow focussed on eating instead of the girl. "I… I genuinely don't think I have ever seen so much food." Cenahria said weakly, and through a mouthful, Ruby said "This is how we do things back home!". Qrow shook his head slightly, grinning. Cenahria ate slowly, appearing to be pacing herself.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, each eating their fill, until the last remnants of food had been cleared from the plates. The serving girls cleared the table, and a contented sigh rang around the table. Ordering another drink, Qrow settled back, briefly brushing Cenahria's arm. She looked at him quickly, and once again their eyes met. He took a quick sip of his drink, an excuse to look away.

Before long, the teens began making their excuses to head to their rooms. First was Jaune, Nora and Ren, wanting to be awake early for a tour they wanted to catch of some boring museum on the history of Mistral. Qrow rolled his eyes; Mistral's history wasn't that interesting. He nearly said so, when Cenahria stated "That is actually a good tour. It goes really in depth with how Mistral was founded, and mentions the Great War, and the part Mistral played." She paused, a dark look crossing her face for a moment. "Not everyone here agrees with the… representation." He looked at her quickly, and recognised the look in her eyes. He knew the history of the Great War, and he himself didn't think it had been all that 'Great'. Apparently, Cenahria agreed. Despite himself, he was impressed. Not a lot of people knew the truth of the Great War, especially the citizens of Mistral and Atlas, and they were loath to admit to their wrongdoings. He wondered briefly what else they might agree on, if they had the chance to talk properly. He got up and excused himself to go to the bathroom, and by the time he got back, the others were saying goodnight too.

"Cenahria, you've had such a long day. You should get some rest soon." Blake's voice was gentle, but firm. Cenahria looked up for a moment, as Qrow sat opposite her, and she tilted her head. He shoved away the thought of being alone with her, and getting to know her better, and instead stared into his glass. "Thank you, Blake. All of you. You've all been so kind to me. But it has been a long time since I had a drink, and I've always quite liked the rum here. Waitress?" To Qrow's utter shock, this girl, who had barely spoken a word to anyone, ordered a double, and grinned when the serving girl placed the glass in front of her. "Uh, are you sure you want to drink alcohol, Cenahria? You're sure you shouldn't be resting?" Qrow didn't often get along with the Schnee girl, but for once, he had to agree with her. "Honestly, I'll be okay. I am feeling more like myself as the night goes on. You guys head to sleep. I'll be up later." Cenahria smiled reassuringly at the group, and eventually they turned and left.

Qrow was lost for words. Part of him screamed at him to say something, anything, to this girl who had chosen to drink with him instead of rest, but most him was too stunned to think of something to say. She sat, eyes in her glass, occasionally looking up at him, apparently lost for words too. She was halfway through her glass when eventually, inspiration struck him. "Not a lot of women order a double straight away." Cenahria grinned slightly, not looking up, and he found himself grinning too. "I'm not like most women. Or most people, for that matter."

She looked up at him then, properly, this time. He met her gaze, and allowed himself a moment to fully appreciate how attractive she was. The moment he let the thought cross his mind, she blushed, but she didn't look away. For a moment, they studied one another. It was warm in the Inn, and she had taken off her jacket. Her dress, which bore a striking resemblance to the colour of her eyes, was tight, and sleeveless. He tried very hard to keep his eyes level with hers, and a slight hint of amusement danced in the violet flames of her eyes.

Uncharacteristically self-conscious, Qrow drained his drink, and ordered another, for both of them. Cenahria smiled her thanks and he smiled back. They sat silently again for a little while, Cenahria staring out the window into the darkness. The way she studied the dark, the other people in the room… Once again, Qrow had the sense she was a Huntress. He was about to ask her about it, when every muscle in her body tensed. Her hands tightened on the glass in front of her, and she drank the entire glass in one gulp. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could sense it emanating from her in waves. He couldn't tell how he knew. He could just feel it. "Cenahria?" She ignored him, still staring out of the window, eyes fervently scanning the dark. He turned to look out of the window too. All he could see was inky black. Not even the streetlights had come on. That was strange. Qrow looked around the room. No one else had noticed anything wrong. One of the waitresses came over and cleared the table, smiling at both of them. Silently, and without turning from the window, Cenahria put on her jacket.

"Cenahria? What's wrong?" Violet eyes turned to gaze into his. The intensity of the worry in them caused him to lean back. "We have to go. Right now." Her voice was a whisper. She stood, and moved to go outside. Confused, Qrow stood and ran after her. "Cenahria, wait! Go? Go where? Stop for a moment and tell me what the hell is going on." She stopped, the dark of the outside world enveloping her, and her words chilled his spine. It couldn't be. Not here.

"Grimm. They're coming."


	3. Chapter 3

Cenahria stared into those deep, red eyes, conflicted. She could sense the fear, and confusion that Qrow was feeling, and despite wanting to reassure him, she knew that she couldn't lie. "Grimm? Here? Are you sure? How can you even be sure? How do you know? I think that rum has gone to your head…" Qrow's voice was deep, and sent shivers down her spine, but she ignored the sensation. She shook her head. "I… I can't explain it to you. Please. Just trust me. There are Grimm coming and we have to stop them." Qrow looked longingly back into the warmth of the Inn, and Cenahria felt a sharp pang of regret. She wondered if he was thinking of that waitress who had been flirting with him earlier. Sighing, Qrow turned back to her. "Alright. Let's go save the world." He gestured for her to lead. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. She could feel the negative energy; it was subtle, but definite. She began to walk, allowing her instincts to guide her. As they walked, the sense of negativity grew. She smiled slightly. This was good. It meant they were on the right path.

They walked silently. Cenahria left Qrow to his thoughts. Confusion was still emanating from him in waves, and internally, she scolded herself. She knew how it must look to him. A random homeless girl, suddenly running into the darkness crying "Grimm". She hadn't allowed herself to pay any real attention to her semblance in a very long time, especially when it came to this. Then again, it had been a long time since she had felt the presence of Grimm. Thinking back, she hadn't felt this negativity since leaving the Academy. She shook her head slightly, surprised at herself. She had been denying her abilities for so long, and she hadn't truly realised it. She'd broken her oath as a Huntress.

Fear suddenly took over her. What if she had forgotten how to fight? How to be a Huntress? What if she could no longer do her duty, and protect the innocent? Trying not to panic, she allowed herself a moment to look sideways at Qrow. He was tall, with clearly defined muscles underneath his light grey shirt. She blushed slightly, remembering the rather unexpected feelings she'd felt from him back at the Inn. His weapon was huge, and he had it slung across his back. He walked with such purpose, such strength. She risked a look at his face and realised with embarrassment that he was watching her watching him, and was grinning slightly. She turned away quickly. "Feel free to look all you like." Cenahria could feel his amusement, and decided not to dignify that with a response. No matter how badly she wanted to take him up on it.

A sudden burst of negative energy flooded her mind, and she stopped dead. Amusement gone, Qrow's eyes turned to meet hers. "Grimm?" She nodded, and peered into the darkness. She couldn't see anything yet, but they were close. Their foulness seeped into her mind. Cenahria could sense Qrow looking around too, before turning to look at her again. From their left came a low growling, and he spun to face it. A brief flash of surprise that Cenahria had been right came from him, which made her smile a little. It was still a few streets away, but it was closer than she had anticipated. She was out of practice. A low, rasping noise told Cenahria that Qrow had unsheathed his weapon, and the foulness was replaced by Qrow's surprising calm. "They are closer than I thought. I'm sorry." Qrow was on high alert, and didn't respond straight away. Instead he straightened from his battle stance and looked at her.

"You should head back to the Inn. It's not safe out here." Cenahria just stared at him, incredulous. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have known there were any Grimm in the first place! "You are not the only Huntsman here, you know. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Raising a dark eyebrow, Qrow looked at her. Cenahria could sense his slight surprise. "You mean, the way you took care of yourself earlier?" She flushed, this time in anger, even though he didn't mean it maliciously. Ignoring the look on her face, he carried on. "And anyway. What kind of Huntress doesn't carry a weapon?" She stopped in her tracks, hand automatically going to her throat. No necklace. Which meant no weapon. "You're a little out of practice, aren't you, Huntress?" His tone was softer, this time. "Please. Go back. I don't want you to get hurt, and believe me, if you stay here, you will." He locked eyes with her, and she didn't need her semblance to tell her he meant it, or that he was genuinely scared of her getting hurt. He felt… sorrow? Regret? Guilt? It seemed to be a concoction of all three, as well as the startling concern for her safety, and she fought a sudden urge to comfort him.

He was wrong, of course. She had other means of fighting that didn't require a weapon, but that usually resulted in people running away, terrified of her. As she stared into Qrow's eyes, she felt a strong desire to stay close to him, as she had in the Inn when the girls had suggested she rest. The growling came again, this time much closer. They didn't have long now. "Please. Go." His voice was pleading this time. She shook her head. "I can take care of myself." She kept her voice low, and gentle. His eyes never moved from hers. She was locked in his gaze, unable to tear herself away. His eyes narrowed. "What aren't you telling me?" The growling was louder now, only one street over. He finally broke the spell, and looked in the direction of the growls. "At the very least, get behind me. And don't come close." That was a fair compromise. She allowed him to place himself between her and the dark shadows that had appeared at the end of the street.

Qrow immediately crouched into a battle stance, and a faint tingle of electricity danced down Cenahria's spine. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and not all of it was from Qrow. She hadn't seen a Grimm in so long, let alone fought one. That old, familiar feeling of power rushed through her, and she grinned despite herself. The Grimm finally spotted Qrow, and several sets of crimson eyes lit the dark. There were more than she'd anticipated. Expecting fear, that same sense of calm she had felt earlier from Qrow quietened her mind. There was not one bit of him that was afraid, even though he was outnumbered. Instead, he smiled, and surged forward, meeting the challenge of the lead Grimm.

As he moved, he triggered his weapon. Cogs in the handle began to turn, and the weapon began to break into pieces that slid forward, and curved. By the time he swung the blade down into the neck of the Grimm, his weapon had become a formidable scythe. When she had first met him, she had admittedly thought he was… attractive. Now, watching him fight, that first impression began to grow deeper. He moved from Grimm to Grimm, slashing and dodging with a fluidity she had only ever seen once – and that individual had a semblance that was literally based around water. His eyes had a fire in them now; clearly fighting was something he enjoyed. She could see now why there had been no fear in him; only the enemy could feel fear in an encounter with him. He briefly looked over at her, and he grinned, getting cocky with his dodges and attacks. Smiling at his enjoyment, she watched every movement hungrily, and she felt a sudden sadness that she could not join in.

Her muscles began to shake, and she felt another shot of fear. She couldn't do this. Not here. Not in front of Qrow. Cenahria could feel a strength, a power that she hadn't felt in over a year, surging through her body, and she started repeating the word no, over and over in her head. She must have said it out loud, because now Qrow was looking at her, his face a picture of concern, shouting her name. She knelt to the ground, not wanting to look up, but she had a sudden sense that something was wrong. She ignored the screaming in her head and looked up just in time to see Qrow moving towards her, all of his attention on her, unspoken worry in his eyes. Eyes that should have been focussed on the Grimm he had been fighting.

One of the beasts was getting up from the floor, long, bloody gashes in its side. Qrow had weakened it, but not by much. Larger than the others, it towered over Qrow. He must have seen something in her face, because he turned, but the Grimm was already running at him. Cenahria had a split second to make her decision – not that there was much decision to make. She stopped fighting the power, and instead indulged it, feeding the Grimm's anger into it, until her entire body burned. She could feel her muscles strengthening, and changing shape, as the force of the change bent her body down to all fours. Qrow was desperately trying to fend off the beast, but he had been caught off-guard, and was losing ground, fast. He grabbed hold of both ends of his weapon, and pushed outwards as the beast leapt on him, forcing the beast back, and Cenahria grabbed the opportunity. Lunging forward, she placed herself between Qrow and the Grimm, and growled. She caught sight of herself in the reflection of a nearby window, and her mind smiled. Her shape was similar to that of the Grimm they faced – a great beast, thick with muscle. However, where the Grimm were dark, Cenahria's body bore the vibrant blue of her hair. Violet fire flickered where the Grimm's eyes burned red, and she turned to face the creature.

"Cenahria?" Qrow's voice was quiet with shock. She didn't dare turn around. She began staring the beast down, and as it moved forwards, she growled again, a warning not to come any closer. The beast stopped, uncertain, before surging forward. "Cenahria!" she ignored Qrow's alarm, and sudden fear for her safety, as she met the challenge. Nimbly, she dodged the attack, spinning on one paw to claw at the beast. The Grimm howled; her claws cut deeper than any weapon.

Cenahria allowed no fear to enter her mind, instead channelling the irrational anger she had felt at the Grimm's attack on Qrow into her body. Turning with the momentum of her spin, she sank her teeth into the neck of the Grimm, yanking downward, forcing it to the ground, and as she did so, she heard a faint hum. Instinct told her to hit the ground, and she rolled as she did so. Just as she hit the floor, Qrow's scythe buried itself in the body of the Grimm, mere inches away from her own furry stomach. The beast shuddered once, then went still. Sensing the danger had passed, Cenahria allowed the negative energy to fade from her body, changing back into herself. She lay there for a few moments; the adrenaline was still pumping through her veins, and she fought to catch her breath.

"A shapeshifter who can turn into a creature of Grimm. Not something you see every day." Qrow's tone was matter of fact; no surprise or fear there. Cenahria sat up, and found him wiping the blood off of his weapon, back turned. "You should have told me." There was a note of sadness in his voice, which puzzled her. "I'm sorry, Qrow. Please, understand it has nothing to do with you. It's just. I've never met anyone that can shapeshift. In my experience, people knowing I can turn into something that resembles a Grimm doesn't end well." He turned to face her, an indecipherable look on his face, and offered her his hand. Hesitating briefly, she took it. As their skin touched, tingles shot up her spine. Judging by the brief shock that crossed his eyes, that sensation had been mutual.

As she got to her feet, she swayed. It hadn't taken much power to shift into the beast, but she was so out of practice, she felt drained. Instantly, Qrow moved his body closer, and she collapsed into him. His body was warm, and she had been right about his muscular physique. She looked up at him, and the sadness was in his eyes. She closed her eyes and concentrated, sifting through the emotions in her mind until she hit the problem. "I'm sorry for not trusting you enough to tell you. I never meant to hurt you. We have only just met, and I just. I'm so used to people running in fear."

Opening her eyes again, she found confusion had replaced the sadness. "What makes you think I'm hurt?" His tone was neutral, but she could sense the curiosity and surprise underneath. "If you are thinking my shapeshifting is my semblance, it's not. My semblance is… something different. It's hard to explain but. It's why I tried so hard to stay away from people. Why I am so out of practice at being a Huntress." She stepped back from him, and turned away. She couldn't tell him the truth. He'd only just met her anyway, it's not like he really cared, she told herself. "It seems we have a lot to talk about. But first, I want to show you something." Turning back to him, Cenahria watched him step a little further back, so he was stood in the centre of the street.

Without warning, without giving her time to process, Qrow shifted into a sleek, black crow, and then changed back into himself. She smiled slightly – at least she knew where his name came from now. He tilted his head and smiled back at her, and she had the sensation of waiting for something. A few moments passed before she realised what she had just witnessed. He chuckled as it dawned on her, and her smile widened, an unfamiliar sensation flowing through her veins. "Looks like you're not alone anymore, Cenahria."


	4. Chapter 4

Qrow couldn't quite believe that Cenahria was a shapeshifter. Watching her turn into a beast, so reminiscent of a Grimm, had been terrifying. Not that he would ever admit that, of course. She seemed genuinely scared of people finding out about her abilities, and he could see why. It had been such an easy transition for her, and if he hadn't of known it was her, he may well have attacked her. She hadn't just looked like a beast – she had been a beast.

Qrow also struggled to believe that she had never met another shapeshifter before. She had been honestly surprised when he changed form, her eyes had lit up and he couldn't help but smile at it. After a second's hesitation, he changed again, flying around her, listening to her giggles, and his heart swelled. Fluttering down to land on her shoulder, he cawed softly. She turned her head to look at him, and grinned. She gently stroked him, and electricity coursed through his veins. "Who's a pretty boy then?" She laughed as he cawed in indignation. He was a crow, not a parrot! Smiling inside, he flew away and changed back into himself, leaning on his weapon that he had propped up against a wall.

He looked back at Cenahria, and allowed himself a moment to appreciate how beautiful she looked, standing in the moonlight, eyes aglow. She had relaxed a lot around him, and she was looking up at the sky, serene and peaceful, a small smile on her face. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he cleared his throat. She jumped slightly and looked over at him. Forcing himself not to smile at her, he picked up his weapon. "We should head back." She nodded, and followed him. They walked silently, Cenahria leaving him to his thoughts. Part of him wanted to talk to her, but another part felt that would be too dangerous. "The closer she gets to me, the more hurt she will end up" Qrow kept telling himself. He wouldn't allow her to get hurt, no matter how badly he wanted to get to know her.

"I'm sorry." Qrow looked at her, startled out of his reverie. "I guess you would have preferred to have stayed back at the Inn. With your new… friend." Ah. Yes. The waitress from earlier. Cenahria's body had tensed slightly, and her air of calm looked a little too forced. Was that… jealousy? Despite himself, Qrow felt happy at the idea. "Nah. I'd already turned her down before you went running into the night." Qrow could have left it at that, but something took over him. "And anyway. I doubt it would have been more fun than what we have done this evening." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a slight flush appear on Cenahria's cheeks, and he grinned. "And how could I refuse to help? You needed a strong Huntsman to take down those Grimm for you." She smirked at him. "Oh yes, the great and powerful Huntsman Qrow, who needed me to help him finish off the largest of them." She laughed as she said it, and he gave her a look of mock hurt. Giggling, she gently poked his arm. "You stop that. I know you're not really hurt." Cenahria had relaxed again, and was smiling properly. Turning away from her, he smiled to himself.

They walked in silence for a bit longer. Remembering their earlier conversation, Qrow looked sideways at Cenahria. "You were gonna tell me about your semblance." Walking quicker, Cenahria looked down at the floor. "You know, I was very impressed with your fighting. You seem to really enjoy it." Concerned, Qrow took her arm, and stopped her walking. She refused to look at him. "Quit changing the subject. I proved your fears wrong with your little beast secret. You can trust me." He moved around her, so she was facing him, and lifted her face so he could look into her deep, violet eyes. There was a storm in them, a turbulent mix of confusion, and secrecy and fear. "You can trust me." He repeated, softly this time. She turned out of his grip, and he let her move away. "I have to give her a little space if I want her to trust me" he thought to himself, fighting the urge to go after her. A smaller voice in the back of his mind questioned why he even cared.

After a little while, Cenahria sat down on a small grassy hill. The Inn they were staying in wasn't in the main city of Mistral – it was a few minutes' walk from the hustle and bustle of the City, through a small grove of trees and other greenery. Deep forest lay the other side of the Inn, and several times during their stay, Qrow had gone for silent walks amongst the trees. Moving slowly, to judge her reaction, Qrow went to sit beside her. She didn't move away, which he took as a good sign. Waiting patiently, he let her sit in silence. "I told you earlier that my semblance is not my ability to shape shift. That it's the reason I stay away from people." Qrow nodded, and she took a deep breath. He felt sorry for her – she clearly found it difficult to admit to what her semblance was, but he understood that feeling of wanting to stay away from others. Her hair had fallen about her face, and he once again thought of how attractive she was. As he thought it, she looked up at him, the fear in her eyes even stronger.

"My semblance is… different. I can't turn it on or off like everyone else. It's not something I'm able to have a lot of control over either. I can…" Qrow placed his hand on her arm, willing her to trust him. He wasn't going anywhere, despite the furious protestations of his head. Swallowing, she continued. "I can feel the emotions of people around me. Not just people – Grimm too. That's how I knew they were coming. I could feel the negativity they had been attracted to, I could feel their anger and their hunger for blood. And when I say the people around me, I mean everyone. All of the time. There is no off switch. That in itself is enough to lose friends – who wants to be friends with someone you can never keep a secret from? Couple it with my ability to shape shift into a Grimm, and people start to question my intentions. I can turn into a Grimm, I can feel what they feel… what separates me from them? Every single emotion that people feel, I feel too. It causes a lot of problems. That's why I ran away from my family, and my friends. I was a disappointment to my family. They denied it, but I literally could feel it pouring out of them. The other thing is, combined, my shape shifting and semblance can be… chaotic. To shift, I have to channel negative emotions. If I am in a situation where I am surrounded by negativity, I sometimes struggle to contain the urge to shift. I've hurt people I care deeply about by losing control. That's why I will likely leave you all soon. I cannot be trusted to be around others. No matter how much I care for them."

Cenahria had barely paused for breath during her speech, and she still wouldn't look at him. He was in shock. All emotions. All of the time. He thought back to when he had first met her, to everything he had felt. Sudden, rare embarrassment flooded through him at all of the silent observations he had made about her appearance, about her body. She looked up at him, and smiled slightly. "Yes, I know how you feel. Not… completely but. Mostly. It's… flattering." She blushed deeply, and he grinned to himself. At least he hadn't scared her.

"So, tell me. What am I feeling. Right now?" She looked up at him, disbelief on her face, and he grinned. He wanted to make her smile again – she looked too upset. "I… are you testing me?" He shrugged, and pulled out his hip flask. Taking a long swig, he looked at her, and motioned for her to go ahead. "Alright then… you feel. Nothing. Nothing that I was expecting, anyway." She frowned slightly, and tilted her head to look at him. "There's no fear, or confusion. No disbelief. I know you're only doing this to make me feel better. To show me that you're not going to run away, and that you aren't scared of me, or what I can do. You feel… understanding." That was impressive. She was, of course, absolutely spot on, and he allowed himself to fully feel it. She smiled self-consciously, and her eyes finally held that beautiful light again.

As soon as he thought it, he regretted it, as Cenahria blushed deeper. "Please, don't regret it. If my semblance has taught me anything, it's that you cannot help how you feel. Even if feelings can be somewhat confusing." She had a point there. Standing, he offered her his hand, and she allowed him to help her up for the second time that night. "We really should head back." He looked at her, suddenly uncertain. She knew everything that he felt. Which meant she knew that he was trying to hide it, and deny it. She was smiling to herself, but her eyes still looked a little worried.

Acting entirely on instinct, he lifted her face up again, and looked deep into her eyes. For a brief moment, only for a second, he stopped fighting, and allowed himself to really feel the understanding he had for her, and why she felt she needed to run away. He thought back to her speech, and remembered what she had said about leaving their group. The thought made him unusually sad, and he allowed himself to feel that too, albeit briefly. He let the relief at finally finding someone who could understand the plight of having a semblance that you couldn't shut off flood through him, as well as his own reluctance to open up about his own semblance. The only thing he desperately tried to keep hidden was his confusion at his feelings for her, this woman he had not known for 24 hours. He only held her eyes for a few seconds, but the rush of emotions was strange for him, and it appeared to take her breath away. He hoped she was a little less worried now. Stepping back, she looked up at him, dark eyes unfathomable, and nodded. He smiled at her, and she smiled back; she had understood his meaning.

They walked the short distance back to the Inn in silence. Stepping through the door, the bar was completely empty, save for the waitress from earlier. Qrow was still trying to process all of the emotions he had felt and revealed to Cenahria, and he didn't realise at first that she had gone on without him. "Try not to stay up too late. Goodnight, Qrow." Startled by her soft voice, Qrow watched Cenahria walk away from him, and up the stairs. The waitress was sitting by herself, drinking, and was watching him, a playful smile on her lips. He didn't need Cenahria's semblance to work out exactly what had her up so late. As Cenahria disappeared up the stairs, the waitress stood, her eyes seductive. She had long brunette hair, and was attractive, especially in her short skirt. He looked her up and down, and she bit her lip, beckoning him with one finger. He was about to move forward when he heard a door close upstairs. "I hope Cenahria manages to sleep easy tonight" the thought came unbidden to him, and just like that, the waitress became just another girl. He sighed, and looked her up and down again. She was attractive, but he had seen better that evening. "Not gonna happen I'm afraid." He ignored the look of rejection on her face, and made his way to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Several weeks had passed since Cenahria had come to stay at the Inn with Jaune and the others. Jaune had noticed that she would spend most days staying up late, drinking in the bar with Qrow. On occasion, he had been looking out of his window, unable to sleep, and he would see them coming back to the Inn, but neither one ever spoke about where they would go or what they did. In fact, no one else seemed to have noticed that they even left, so Jaune stayed silent. He personally felt that Qrow was a bad influence on her, often buying her drinks, usually doubles. Why would an older guy buy so many alcoholic drinks for a younger woman, Jaune had wondered to himself on many occasions. He had put this question to Ren one night, as they lay in their beds waiting for sleep to come. Ren had responded with "Maybe the question you should be asking yourself is why this bothers you so much?". He had had no response to that, and had turned over and tried to sleep.

Cenahria spent her days with Team RWBY, or with him and the others, offering to show them around Mistral, and Qrow usually stayed behind. Jaune looked forward to their outings, and not just because Mistral was a fascinating place – Cenahria had really come out of her shell since their initial meeting, and Jaune found her funny and sweet. She felt familiar to him somehow, and he couldn't put his finger on why. She was attractive too, with her long, deep blue hair, and her striking eyes. It was hard to look at her without blushing, especially if she noticed him and smiled, and Nora teased him relentlessly about it. "Jaunaria… it has such a good ring to it!" Thankfully, Nora had the sense not to say things like this in front of Cenahria – Jaune didn't think he would survive that kind of embarrassment.

The days began to melt into one another, and Jaune could sense the restlessness of the group, especially Team RWBY. On several occasions, at dinner, Yang or Blake would bring up the subject of visiting Professor Lionheart at Haven Academy. After all, that was why they were here. One evening, Qrow finally relented. "Fine, fine. I will head to Haven tomorrow and speak to old Lionheart." A murmur of protest rang around the table. Only Jaune and Cenahria remained silent. "Wait, we aren't going with you? We travelled all of this way to do this, together. Some of us have gone through a lot to get here you know." Jaune smiled slightly at Weiss' indignant tone. Yang rolled her eyes and flexed her metal arm. "None of us have had an easy journey to get here, Weiss. But, you're not wrong. We should be there with you, Qrow." Blake was always very quiet when she spoke. She did not mess around with subtleties. Jaune found that refreshing.

There was a few more minutes of arguing, between Team RWBY and Qrow, before Ren finally spoke up. "Why don't we ask Cenahria what she thinks? She is from Mistral. She not only knows our situation, but maybe she knows Professor Lionheart too, and can help us?" All eyes turned to her, and she shrank back into her seat. Qrow turned to look at her, and they exchanged an indecipherable look. They seemed to do that often; they would look at each other and it would seem like a wealth of information passed between them. For some reason, that made Jaune very jealous, and did not improve his opinion of Qrow.

Sighing, Qrow took another drink, and motioned for Cenahria to talk. "I… do know Professor Lionheart. I am actually a graduate from Haven Academy." A shiver of shock ran down Jaune's spine. Cenahria was a huntress? Ruby echoed his thoughts. "You're a huntress? A real huntress? Like Uncle Qrow?" Ruby's eyes shone with admiration. Cenahria smiled slightly, and Qrow snorted. Cenahria shot him a look and he gave her a playful wink, causing her to blush and look away. Clearly, some sort of inside joke. "Wait. You knew about this? Why didn't either of you tell us that you are a Huntress? Why haven't we been to Haven Academy weeks ago, if Cenahria is a graduate?" Jaune was tired of being left in the dark with everything. Yang and Weiss nodded in agreement with him. Cenahria looked pained, and Qrow just shrugged.

"I am sorry Jaune. For not being honest with all of you. When you all found me, I was homeless. I had given up on being a Huntress, I had abandoned my team. I had my reasons for that. This is a difficult situation for me to be in. I have spent a long time trying to forget everything I learned at Haven. Going back there now will be… painful." Jaune looked at Cenahria with sympathy. Looking at her, in her body-hugging dress, casually playing with her glass, it was easy to forget the girl in rags he had initially first met. He met her eyes, and felt a huge rush of sympathy for her. She smiled, and for once, he didn't look away.

"Despite this, I will take you to Haven. Tomorrow." Turning to Qrow, she briefly met his eyes, and he sighed again. "And I mean all of you. I agree with Weiss. All of you witnessed the events at Beacon. The tragedies that happened there. Professor Lionheart will be much more sympathetic hearing it straight from the students involved. He cares deeply about his students. I see no reason why Beacon's students should be any different, given all that has happened." Jaune noticed how sad Cenahria's voice was. When she had mentioned the tragedies at Beacon, her eyes had closed, as if she was forcing herself not to cry. "You're the expert on Mistral. Haven't spent a lot of time with Lionheart myself. If you think they should join us, then they can tag along." Attention turned back to Qrow, and Cenahria exhaled deeply. It was very clear she had not wanted to agree to anything.

Jaune pondered about this for hours after everyone went to bed. Lying there in the darkness, he thought about how sad she had sounded and why the thought of what had happened in Vale seemed to affect her so badly. Above all, he thought about meeting the Headmaster of Haven. Cenahria had been right that no one could explain the horrors of that night better than Team RWBY and JNR. But the thought caused hard knots to form in his stomach, and he found it difficult to swallow. He did not want to discuss Beacon. The lives that had been lost. Pyrrah… Screwing his eyes tightly shut to fight against the tears, he turned over, and tried to get some rest.

The next morning was bright, with the sun streaming through the curtains. Breakfast was a quiet affair; it seemed to Jaune that everyone could sense Cenahria's nervousness at going to Haven. "You don't have to come with us, you know. If it's going to be difficult, you can always stay here." Cenahria looked up at Blake, and smiled appreciatively. "Thank you Blake but. I need to do this for me too. I think going back to Haven will be good for me; I need to remember who I am, I need to stop running. The only way to do that is to face up to a few things. Going back to Haven will hopefully help me do that." Jaune looked at her from across the table. There was a sadness in her eyes, and fear too. "It's okay Cenahria. Whatever it is, you don't have to go through it alone – you have us now." Even Jaune was surprised that he had been so bold. She raised her eyes to look at him, and he met her gaze. The violet depths of her eyes were unfathomable; her smile didn't quite reach them. Briefly, Jaune wondered what it was she had to face, but before he could ask, the group stood up. It was time to head to Haven.

The heat outside was wonderful, and Jaune allowed himself to soak in the sun's rays. The weather wasn't usually this good back in Vale, and he said so to the group. Everyone was in good spirits, even Qrow, who was tagging along with them. Jaune was disappointed with this; he had hoped to talk to Cenahria some more on their way to Haven. She spent the majority of the walk pointing out various interesting places to Qrow, the museums and other places she had already shown to Jaune and the others. "Seems you might have to give me a little tour of my own 'round this place." Qrow smiled down at her, making her blush, and jealousy spread through Jaune like wildfire. Why did this affect him so badly, he wondered. Cenahria turned quickly to look at him, and gave him a small smile. There was something in her eyes, almost like guilt, but it vanished too quickly for Jaune to be able to figure out exactly what it was.

After a while, Cenahria became subdued, listening to the conversation going on around her, instead of talking to anyone. Jaune immediately sensed they were nearing their destination – her nervousness was tangible. The others must have picked up on it too, as the conversation turned to Beacon, and Professor Lionheart. "You gonna be okay, introducing everyone, or do you want me to take the lead here?" Qrow's voice was quiet, meant for Cenahria's ears only. She shook her head, not speaking. She briefly met his eyes, and he gave her an encouraging smile. The returning smile didn't last long, fading as they neared a huge cluster of grand buildings.

Haven was similar to Beacon, in that it was a beautiful building, tall and regal-looking. The walls appeared gold in the light of the sun, but as Jaune grew closer, he could see that the walls were a reflective white colour. There was a courtyard, similar to that at Beacon, however instead of a statue in the centre, there was a garden, full of flowers and trees. It truly looked like a miniature haven, and the perfume from the flowers was intoxicating. Jaune felt the entire group breathe deeply as they neared it. The only person to not visibly relax was Cenahria, who tensed even more at the sight of the courtyard. They stopped for a moment as they drew level, Nora and Ruby going to smell the flowers properly. Even Weiss seemed entranced by the garden, and Jaune was tempted to follow her as she went after Ruby. But Cenahria was rooted in place, eyes round with fear. Moving to stand next to her, he placed his hand on her arm, hoping she would understand the unspoken comfort he was trying to provide. Startled out of her reverie, she looked down at his hand, then up at him. He was shocked to see tears in her eyes. Laughter filtered over from where the girls and Ren were standing in the garden, and as Jaune looked over at them, Yang waved enthusiastically for them to join them. Qrow had gone on ahead, to what appeared to be the main building. Cenahria looked at Jaune, and he had the vague sense that if he didn't go to the group, she wouldn't either. He squeezed her arm slightly, and led her to the others.

The garden was even more beautiful up close. Flowers of every colour imaginable fluttered in a small breeze, the trees providing welcome shade from the sun. The group was under the largest tree, examining a small patch of white flowers, a seductively sweet aroma filling the air as Jaune grew closer. "These flowers are so pretty! I wonder what kind they are? I've never known flowers smell so sweet!" Ruby was sat, cross-legged on the floor, gently cupping the buds to smell them properly. "I wonder what they are called? I've never seen any like them before…" Blake was quiet as ever, but even her voice held a note of wonder. Jaune grinned – who would have thought Blake would be wondering about flowers? He felt good in that garden, a sense of relaxation that he'd never known washing over him. "I've never felt so at ease before… I never want to leave." Jaune nodded in agreement at Weiss, and she briefly smiled at him. His heart missed a beat – Weiss was so _pretty_ when she smiled – and he turned to look for Cenahria. She had her back turned, and was looking at a small group of yellow flowers, similar to roses, but smaller. She bent to pick up a bloom that had fallen off its stem. "These were her favourites." She said quietly to herself, and Jaune noted a sad tone in her voice. He went to stand next to her, and she flung the flower away from herself, as if it had stung her. "Did you come to this garden often, Cenahria?" She didn't turn to look at him, sighing instead. The others had become quiet, waiting to see if she would respond.

"This was my favourite place at this school. My team and I… we would practice here, most evenings. It is incredibly relaxing here, and that helped us train. We… have a particular affinity for nature and the natural world, and we all felt at home here. I have many memories of this place…" Cenahria trailed off as Qrow joined them in the garden. Jaune did not like the look on his face. "We may have a little problem getting to speak to Lionheart." Yang went to speak, but he just gestured, and started to walk away. Trying to ignore his irritation, Jaune followed the others, sticking with Cenahria, who was keeping to the back of the group. Qrow led them through the rest of the courtyard, through the cluster of buildings, until they reached a set of majestic-looking steps that led up to a door that appeared to be made out of coloured glass. The door was firmly closed, and as they grew closer, Cenahria's demeanour changed. She cocked her head, studying the closed door, and made her way up the steps towards it. Qrow and Jaune followed her. Testing the handle, it became clear that Haven was locked. "This can't be right. Haven is never locked. Never at this time of year…" Cenahria murmured to herself. Qrow looked at her, another information-filled gaze that made sense to no-one but Cenahria. Qrow and Jaune turned to walk back to the others, when Cenahria stopped in her tracks and moved up close to the door. Something on the other side had caught her attention. Her gaze was fixated through the door, until she turned in poorly disguised disgust, and strode down the steps, anger emanating from her. Jaune briefly shared a look with Qrow, and he saw his own confusion and shock mirrored in Qrow's eyes. Completely silent, they followed her.

"Mordana finally got her wish, I see." Cenahria was muttering to herself, but before Jaune could ask who Mordana was, or why her voice was so bitter, Yang bounded over, demanding to know why the school was closed. Cenahria shook her head, and explained that in all her years at Haven, she had never known the school to be closed. There was concern in her voice, and she frequently exchanged looks with Qrow. As they were discussing their next move, Jaune became aware of someone shouting. Turning, he spotted a small man walking over to them, covered in dirt, holding a watering can. He grew closer, and when she noticed him, Cenahria smiled. "Hector! Oh it is so good to see you!" She embraced the man, who returned her warm smile. "Everyone, this is Hector. He is the caretaker here, and an old friend." He smiled at everyone and said hello. "Yes, I am the caretaker, groundskeeper, janitor, maid, general dogsbody… you name it, I do it!" Jaune laughed slightly, and Cenahria shook her head, grinning.

Weiss started talking to him about the beautiful garden, asking about the flowers, and Hector looked at Cenahria curiously. "You haven't told your friends about the garden?" Her face grew dark, and she shook it, good mood gone. "Each separate group of flowers represents a soul that has passed that belonged to this school. Past hunters and huntresses, whose lives were extinguished on the field of battle. The garden commemorates them, and offers solace to those who need it. Of course, many find the flowers beautiful regardless, but each is unique to the soul it represents." His voice grew sad as he turned to Cenahria.

"I heard you all talking underneath the big tree. I was on the other side, planting some crimson lilies. Gonna name them Nikos Lilies." Cenahria shook her head again, tears threatening to spill. Sharp pain stabbed at Jaune's heart, and he suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. "But… Pyrrah attended Beacon, not Haven." Ren's voice was quiet, and sadness coated his words. "Yes, she did attend Beacon. But she spent many an evening during her days at Sanctum, training here, in preparation for her entrance exams to Beacon with…" Cenahria's head snapped up and she interrupted him. "I see the Team photo has finally changed in the Entrance Hall." Her voice held that bitter tone again, but there was underlying panic there too. Jaune looked at her, trying not to cry, wondering what she was so scared Hector would say. Hector looked at her, confused, before shaking his head. "I disagreed with that decision. Team CLWD is still the best team to ever leave this Academy, you did a lot of good with your team during your time here. You helped to train a lot of students who were preparing to join Haven. I kept it for you, if you would like it? It should never have been taken down, especially given recent events."

Qrow's attention had been elsewhere until the mention of Team CLWD. He quickly looked at Cenahria. "Team CLWD. That was your team? You were their leader?" She nodded, wary at his tone, which was both pained and disbelieving. Ruby, however, was beside herself at this news. "You're the leader of your team too? Me and Jaune are the leaders of our teams! Oooh you are so cool!" Cenahria grinned at Ruby, before turning back to Hector, asking for the picture. He walked off to go fetch it for her, and the group went to sit at a collection of benches.

A short while later, Hector returned, and went to hand a photograph to Cenahria, but an uninvited breeze caught it, and threatened to steal it away. Nora jumped, and snatched it out of the air before Cenahria could even blink, stating that she wanted to see Team CLWD. However, she just stared at the photograph, uncharacteristically quiet. Cenahria demanded to have it back, but she was ignored. "What is it Nora? What's in the picture? Who is Team CLWD?" Weiss demanded. Ren, looking over Nora's shoulder, eyed Cenahria. "It is not who Team CLWD is that's the problem. It's who they trained. Who Cenahria trained." Another stab in his chest. Jaune looked to Cenahria, shaking his head, refusing to believe what his team-mates hinted at. Nora handed the picture to Weiss without speaking, her eyes never leaving Cenahria, who looked broken. Ruby gasped, a pained sound escaping her lips. Blake closed her eyes, and Yang turned away. Weiss's hands were shaking as she passed the photograph to Qrow, who looked at Cenahria, nodding sadly to himself, as if confirming something. Finally, he handed the picture to Jaune. His heart stopped beating.

Cenahria stood in the centre, with Team CLWD. They were stood in that beautiful garden. There was another girl, taller than Cenahria, short blonde hair tied with black ribbons fluttering in a frozen breeze, and she was holding one of the yellow blooms. The girl was laughing, as was the boy standing next to her. He had short aqua hair, and Jaune could make out two vicious-looking glaives strapped to his back. On Cenahria's other side was another boy, with deep red hair, whose smile belied a seriousness Jaune had never seen. Cenahria herself was different, holding a golden sword, dressed in black. All 4 were clothed in black, but with embroidery and detailing in a separate colour that complemented their hair. She looked strong. They all did. No trace of that shy, quiet girl dressed in rags. Jaune would have found the photograph fascinating, looking at the power of this real hunter team, if it wasn't for the figure standing slightly in front of Cenahria, who was looking up at her with obvious admiration, holding her spear the same way Cenahria held her sword, hair tied the same as Cenahria's. In the picture, Cenahria was looking down at this girl, smiling at her, one hand on the girl's shoulder, almost protectively. The girl was instantly recognisable. Her crimson hair and emerald eyes would haunt Jaune forever.

There was silence amongst the group, Cenahria sitting on the bench, head in her hands. She raised her head to look at him, apology already forming on her lips. Suddenly angry, he thrust the picture at her, and briefly met her gaze, allowing the fire to spread through his veins. Anger was better than breaking down in front of her. Cenahria moved to stand, to go to him, and Jaune shattered. Turning, he began to run. He couldn't deal with this. Not right now. Not caring where he ended up, Jaune kept running, away from his broken team, and that photograph. But it was burned into his mind, now.

Now he knew why Cenahria felt so familiar. It was clear, now, in the way she moved, the way she spoke. Jaune had only ever known one other person who was like it. Or had been. That girl had been strong, with an underlying shyness that had been part of his attraction to her. Her vibrant eyes, and long, deep hair. Her sense of humour, and passion for helping others. She had modelled herself on the woman who had trained her, on a woman she clearly had had a lot of respect for, who she had admired and adored. And that woman had adored her back. Betrayal burned like poison in his throat, that Cenahria had never uttered a word to anyone, despite hearing from all of them what had happened at Beacon, despite knowing about how they had all felt.

Not once, had Cenahria thought to mention that she had known, and been close to, Pyrrah Nikos.


End file.
